Public disorder on the Tube increases

There has been an increase in passengers pushing and shoving each other, especially at rush hour

Low-level violence on the Tube is on the increase, according to Transport for London (TfL).

Serious public order offences such as pushing, shoving and arguing were 230% higher from April to July than in the same period last year.

Passengers reported 535 more offences than 2016, bringing the total for the quarter to 768.

TfL said it is working with police to reduce the 22% increase of all crime on the transport network.

It added that the spike in serious public order offences - many of which happened in peak times - was in part due to a change in the way crimes are recorded.

Siwan Hayward, head of TfL's Transport Policing, said: "London's transport network is a safe, low crime environment.

"The crime rate has been halved since 2005/06, and very few of the 15 million customers who travel on our services will experience or witness a crime.

"We have seen an increase in crime in the second quarter of 2017/2018, similar to other parts of the country, and are working with the police to address this."

TfL added that a 44% increase in reports of sexual assault on the Overground is as a result of a campaign encouraging victims to come forward.

'Criminals' paradise'

Mick Cash, general secretary of the The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), said: "These are truly shocking figures.

"RMT has warned for years that cuts to staff would turn London Underground into a thugs' and criminals' paradise and our warnings have now come home to roost with a vengeance.

"Rather than TfL planning for a further 1,400 job cuts in the next tranche of planned reductions, passengers need more staff acting as a deterrent."